Reception Will Honor Authors Of Commercial Litigation Treatise

The New York County Lawyers' Association and West will host a reception to honor the 121 authors of the Second Edition of Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts on Tuesday, January 19.

The reception will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at NYCLA, 14 Vesey Street, in downtown Manhattan. All subscribers to The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel are invited to attend. For reservations, call (212) 267-6646, ext. 231.

Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts is a multi-volume, strategy-oriented treatise which resulted from a highly successful joint venture between NYCLA and West. The First Edition was published in 1995. Since that time, the treatise has become a source of pride as well as revenue for NYCLA. All royalties from the sale of this publication and the Pocket Parts go to NYCLA.

The First Edition of the treatise has been widely recognized as a unique and invaluable resource and has become the definitive reference work in its field. The First Edition received an enthusiastic reception from the legal press, reflected in more than 40 book reviews in bar journals and legal newspapers throughout the State of New York.

Due to the many changes over the last few years in New York procedural and substantive law relating to commercial litigation, it became clear that a new, second edition of the treatise was in order. Due to the authors' annual updating of their chapters, the 2003 Pocket Parts totaled in excess of 1,000 pages and the treatise had become unwieldy and inefficient.

Accordingly, West began work on a Second Edition of the treatise during the fall of 2003. The Second Edition will be published next month.

The Second Edition is a step-by-step practice guide that gives the litigator coverage of every aspect of a commercial case, from the assessment that takes place at the inception through pleadings, discovery, motions, trial and appeal. Emphasis is placed on strategic considerations specific to commercial cases. The treatise also contains 29 substantive law chapters on banking litigation, insurance, sale of goods, contracts, and other commercial law topics.

The team of 121 authors includes Judges from the Court of Appeals, Appellate Division, and Supreme Court, and many litigators in New York State. Robert L. Haig of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP serves as the editor-in-chief of both the First and Second Editions.